His Best Girl {Steggy}

-Thirteen-

"I have no affiliation with Brock Rumlow."

"Right, right. So you've said. I could say that I have no affiliation with the Avengers, but that would be a clear lie as well." Peggy leans back in her chair, looking at the uncomfortable HYDRA agent. His hands cuffed to the bed and his face still looking tired and bruised, his features reveal nothing except pain. The wound in his side, although bandaged, caused quite a bit of blood loss. Peggy looks back at Tony, who in turn simply shrugs. Just as she's about to turn back, Steve and Natasha enter the room.

Steve glances at their 'prisoner' before turning to Peggy. "Anything?"

She shakes her head. "I wish, but no. He refuses to cooperate." She casts an annoyed look at the agent. "So you have no name, you don't work for Rumlow, and you just happened to end up with a bullet in your side in a hidden room under a dumpster?"

The man swallows, face contorting in pain, before he repeats the only words he's spoken since waking up: "I have no affiliation with Brock Rumlow."

Peggy lets out a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes and leaning forward in her chair. She rests and elbow on his mattress and his side grazes her arm, causing the man to let out a pained groan. "I can do this all day but I don't think you can," she says, giving him a hard look. "Let's start with an easy one: what's your name?" She presses down further with her elbow, causing him to gasp in pain as he rolls further onto his injured side.

"Okayokayokay," he yelps. "My name is Charles Horton, Charles Horton!"

Peggy leans back, satisfied. "Go on," she says, waiting for the man's breathing to slow.

Horton takes a few breaths before giving Peggy a dirty look and continuing. "I'm a HYDRA agent. Or I was. Until you destroyed it all." With that he turns his hateful gaze towards Steve. "We had to get revenge. Destroy you like you destroyed us."

Peggy barely glances back at Steve, only focusing on the task at hand. She snaps her fingers, getting Horton's attention once more. "Where exactly is Rumlow going next?"

Horton shrugs. "I'm a low-level. Why do you think I got left behind?"

"Are you sure you want to go with that excuse? You were left behind because you were dead weight and you couldn't travel. No matter if you were high up on Rumlow's list or the lowest, he would've abandoned you," Nat says, and Peggy casts an appreciative glance back at the Avenger.

"Now do you want to comply or should I persuade you?" Peggy asks. "Because I don't mind staying here all day."

"What'll you give me if I do?"

"No matter what you're serving life in prison, Horton," Natasha says. "Not much we can do beyond a comfy mattress. Do you need a comfy mattress?" Her tone is patronizing, but Horton looks as though he's actually considering it.

Peggy puts pressure on his bed once more, causing him to lean and wince. "Fine," he says, and his gaze shifts to behind Peggy's frame. To Steve.

"He's going after your friend Barnes," Horton says, and he manages to grin. "He's going to turn on the monster inside and let him tear you apart. And then he'll finish both of you off." 

Steve lunges forward, but Peggy grabs his arm just in time. "Steve! He's not worth it. Okay? He's not worth it." Peggy looks back at Natasha and says, "Is there someone you can call to get rid of this guy?"

Nat nods once and slips out of the room.

Peggy gently pulls Steve out of the room and places her hands in his. "We're going to find him. Barnes is elusive, but you know him better than anyone. We'll figure this out. Rumlow is smart but we have the advantage. All right?"

Steve swallows, eyes downcast. "Yeah, I know. It's just..."

"It's just what?"

"He was always there to break up the fights I couldn't finish. To protect me when I was to small to protect myself." Steve shakes his head. "Now I don't even know where he is."

"We'll find him, Steve. None of this is your fault," Peggy says, squeezing his hands reassuringly. "We won't give up on him."

Steve smiles ruefully. "Thanks for the pep talk, Carter."

Peggy grins right back. "Any time, Rogers. Now come on, I think we both could use a break. Relax and get some rest. We can attack this again in a couple hours."

The two head off to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat, filling the space between them with meaningless small talk. But it is natural, and they can laugh and smile without the weight of their past hanging over them.

While Peggy assumes that someday they'll end up talking about it, for now it is nice to be able to be there for Steve, and to make up for that one time so long ago that she could do nothing. She wasn't able to save Steve that day, but maybe, just maybe, she can help him save Bucky.

A/N:
This chapter is short and kinda lame but I'm so so sorry for not posting!! If you'd like to follow me I post updates on my life and when I'm planning on getting some writing time in.

I hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks for all of the love; we're almost at 10k reads!